Final Election Push Is About Logistics, Not Changing Minds

Thousands of campaign volunteers will be out in force this weekend, in the lead-up to Tuesday’s presidential election. It’s the final push to rally voters--less focused on changing minds and more about logistics.

A volunteer may ask, "When are you going to vote? Are you going to do it before work or are you going to do it after work?" says Melissa Michelson, a Menlo College political science professor. "Where’s your polling place? How are you going to get there?"

Michelson says these questions can turn a plan to vote from a vague idea into something concrete.

"Not only does it help people make sure that they do make time for it," she says. "But it also makes people feel like ‘okay, I’ve really promised this person I’m going to do it.’ It has this kind of psychological effect, where people really want to follow through on what they just said to the door-to-door canvasser."

Michelson says that conversation can raise the likelihood someone votes by double digits.

As the State Government Reporter, Ben covers California politics, policy and the interaction between the two. He previously reported on local and state politics, business, energy, and environment for WFAE in Charlotte, North Carolina. Read Full Bio